User Reviews

"Johnny-crazy-balls over here is going to save us all from Armageddon." Every now and then a group of four couples get together for brunch at someone's house. Today is that day and Tracy (Stiles) is bringing her new boyfriend Glen (Cross) over to meet them for the first time. The conversation begins to unravel quickly and secrets come out that threaten to ruin the brunch, then they find out that the world may be coming to an end. This is another movie I didn't watch any of the previews for so I wasn't sure what to expect. I have to say that this is one of the funnies indi-comedies that I have seen and I laughed out loud just about the whole way through. The writing is so good and each character had his or her own little quirks which made it really fun to watch. This is the kind of movie where each joke builds on the next one and there is so much going on that you can't turn away nor do you want to. This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in awhile and I highly recommend seeing this. I loved it. Overall, another example of how the low budget under-the-radar movies are better then the big Hollywood blockbusters. I give it an A-.

It's a Disaster (2012)

You might not click with this movie right away, or at all, if you don't like the very ordinary style and very ordinary people this group of eight is meant to portray. I recognized too many of my friends, or friends of friends, in these clichéd types of people, and thought the acting and the situation very realistic.

Realistic within the bounds of a really funny somewhat absurdist comedy.

At first you have a gossipy parody of a weekend "couples brunch" where four couples converge, and have been regularly converging, to catch up and have fun. Except that secretly many of them really dread it, and there is some posing and whispering. As a viewer you enjoy the repartee, which is often pretty funny in a laugh out loud way, and you also try to figure out who is who, and whose is whose (the couples include at least one case of infidelity between them which complicates that part).

And I admit I might not have lasted an hour and half of this interplay, no matter how well performed. (To be emphasized, all eight are vivid and convincing in their own ways. It's the core of the movie that these are believable types.)

But you won't need patience once the huge (huge) twist comes along. It's a classic "ship of fools" scenario, and it's compressed into a very short space: a bunch of distinctive types of people find themselves trapped together in a crisis. That's just the interesting starting point, because it's how, exactly, those kind of people respond to crisis that makes it fascinating.

It works. We get to know the four or five most important people really quickly and when things shift and reactions mount--and the jokes keep flowing--you'll be right along for the ride. Some might call this a dark comedy since the backdrop becomes exceedingly dire, but the reality of that darkness is never salient. The humor, right to the very last three seconds, is cutting and bright.

Why, quite, this isn't a masterpiece is one of those amorphous mysteries of the movies. It lacks, I suppose, some sense of air, or of knowing-ness, or of a style that suffuses whether you quite realize it or not. Something about the very ordinariness of it all makes it wriggle in a sufficiency that keeps it from rising up, or getting really gritty. I don't think it's a flaw. It might even wear well over the years. But it makes some of the weaker characters and weaker lines glare just slightly.

See this? Yes! If you just hate the characters after ten minutes, you might give up. Even after the big twist about twenty minutes in the movie is very character driven. But if you sort of like their company and their humor, dive in and hang on. It's a hoot.

"It's a Disaster" turned out to be anything but a disaster. This movie really took me by surprise, and turned out to be a really great movie. Especially because of the colorful and interesting characters that were portrayed in the movie.

The story is about a couples brunch that goes totally awry when a disaster strikes downtown, putting the couples patience, trust and friendship to the test.

There is a good amount of laughs in the movie, and they work out well because the scenes are nicely choreographed and planned. But what really makes this movie work is the characters in the movie, and the actors/actresses that were on the cast list to portray these characters. In my opinion, then America Ferrera and David Cross stood out from the others, and did a marvelous job. That being said, I am not saying that the rest of the cast didn't do a great job, far from it. The best character in the movie, however, was Hal Lousteau (played by Todd Berger). It was just a shame that he wasn't in the movie all that long.

The type of comedy found in "It's a Disaster" is the type of comedy that you'll either enjoy tremendously or not at all. Personally, I found it very enjoyable, and the movie really entertained me.

If you enjoy comedies and want something that is not overly Hollywood-mainstream, then give "It's a Disaster" a go - it might just be the thing you have been looking for.

I quite enjoyed this movie. Usually a end-of-the-world-movie involves lots of explosions but this movie took a whole different view on it.

The plot was genius: put a bunch of friends together, add a new person and make the world end. Taking place in a single house was a real nice idea, the mystery of not knowing what was going on outside really helped the plot.

The interactions the characters had in this film where funny, crazy and believable. Though its not a comedy where you are laughing all the time I found myself laughing more than in most big comedies.

Top notch acting really added to the experience. You normally don't expect such a cast in a low budget movie.

The comedy group The Vacationeers has written a different take on end-of-the-world genre. Four couples meet up for a brunch, only to have it disrupted by a massive attack.

Julia Stiles and David Cross are the newly dating couple only on their third date. They're the big names on this film. Erinn Hayes and Blaise Miller are having trouble with their marriage. Rachel Boston and Kevin M. Brennan are the brash sexual couple. Jeff Grace and America Ferrera are unable to get marry even though they are long engaged.

It takes a while to get the lay of the land with all these couple. Once the incident happens, there is a burst of energy and lots of hilarity ensues. Then the story gets uneven with some slow spots and some funny bits.

The one glaring problem is the guys in the group. The members of The Vacationeers are just not up to the caliber of David Cross. Very few people are, and none of those people are in this movie. They don't have the same screen presence. In contrast, all the girls in this movie are top rate. They all bring a little something different to the table.

This movie certainly had its moments. The energy does dissipate somewhat after the chaos of the attack. So it ends up as a good film that could have been great.

I came to watch this movie because I'm a David Cross fan and it's the type of premise that appealed to me. I thought it did a great job of depicting the disaster w/out spending a lot of money. Special effects budget was probably somewhere around 200 bucks. It's structured similar to that Jodie Foster/John C. Reilly movie that came out recently, i.e. a couples get-together. Very funny but a lot of it might go over peoples heads if they're into more obvious comedies. It's starts easy, paced well throughout and had a great ending. A really good ending. I really want to mention my favorite parts but I wouldn't want to give any kind of spoiler. David Cross is a good barometer for whether or not you'd enjoy this. If you've heard his stand-up anyways. Watch it, and if you didn't like it, sorry. Just go watch Big Momma's House again and bask in your impeccable taste for comedy and superior intellect. Ciao homies.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to find out that the world is ending? In most movies and TV shows, we see the characters either die a grisly death, or transform themselves into an everyday action hero. But It's A Disaster is not most movies, and it's all the better for it.

It's A Disaster follows Glen, played by the superb David Cross, as he is invited to a dinner party to meet his new girlfriend's group of friends. Soon after the dinner party starts, the group find out that a dirty bomb has been set off downtown and the radiation is going to kill them if they go outside. The rest of the movie follows each character as they each deal with the crisis in very different ways.

The tone is set right from the start, with a wonderful exchange about listening to the car radio. It has very little to do with anything but it is very funny, and this theme runs throughout. Fans of Seinfeld will be in heaven here, as a number of mundane social conventions are deconstructed hilariously, with each character providing a different angle to keep the comedy fresh. The acting and writing is top notch, with a number of well place dramatic beats punctuating the sharp comedy and a slew of memorable characters, the best of which is Shane; a geeky weirdo who seems to have been thinking about these types of situations way too much.

There are a few missteps; America Ferrera's character is more annoying than funny, there is a reveal about Glen which seemed to come out of nowhere and it starts to lose a little steam towards the end, but these are minor complaints in an otherwise highly enjoyable comedy. This is one dinner party you'll be happy to attend.

A sharply written and wonderfully acted comedy. It's A Disaster is anything but.

I was surfing through Netflix, where this movie has a nearly 5-star rating, and watched because of that (very few Netflix movies rank that high). I didn't even read the preview.

I figured it was a comedy because David Cross is in it, but he seemed at first to be playing such a straight role that I thought this was a drama. It ALMOST lost me until the moment the characters learned they were all about to die, at which point I couldn't stop laughing!

It begins with several couples talking about inane and stupid things, much like an episode of Seinfeld. Just go with it because your reward is to come.

It's as if Jerry, Elaine, George, Newman and Kramer are facing the end of the world, joined by Elaine's new boyfriend, David Cross. These characters all face death with the same focus on petty minutiae in their final hours as the Seinfeld cast would. It's hilarious!

I saw this today as part of the New Orleans Film Festival. It is so funny, yet I think still pretty realistic (to an extent). I believe they said it would have a limited theater release in February (the director hopes on Valentines Day because that would be so funny considering the context of the film), and he said it should release on iTunes the same day, so you can see it anywhere. I definitely cannot wait until then so I can see it again. I'd say it's not a movie for everybody because some of the humor is a bit out there, but it's totally my taste, and it's not often I like comedies. The story was well written, and the characters change throughout the film, and it's really interesting how each character handles the disaster differently, and you can really relate to at least one of them. There are even some great surprises throughout the film. I was fortunate enough to hear the director speak about his film afterwards, and he really tuned us in to some of the foreshadowing elements present, and that's one of the reasons I want to see it again. This movie is perfect for anyone who has ever been in any sort of relationship and who doesn't have your conventional sense of humor.

One of the more popular genres lately as been the Apocalyptic film, and they're usually comedies of late. Perhaps it's a sign of growing optimism or maybe we're just getting further from the dark days of 9/11, but in any event, these films can be tiresome and I generally steer away from them --- mainly because it is a tightly jacketed plot structure. Just how many places can the writer take this? Well, two actually...everyone lives miraculously (and pretty unbelievably) or they die.

Fortunately, Todd Berger's It's a Disaster plays this limited plot line for all it's worth, taking it to such depths of black comedy and Seinfeld-esque minutia bickering, that it's impossible to take seriously, thereby rendering the whole affair that much more enjoyable.

It's set among a group of late thirtysomethings on a Sunday at noon, at the home of Emma and Peter Mandrake, where they are hosting the latest in a seemingly interminable series of "Couples Brunches" for themselves and six other married/engaged/otherwise entangled friends. This is a clever conceit in itself: just the fact that Emma regularly plans and executes these events tells you a lot about her character, and also imbues the other characters with a lot of rich background material (something not all good ensemble pieces can pull off so effortlessly).

And there's a lot to feast on, besides the Vegan stew brought by Tracy (Julia Stiles) and her new boyfriend Ben (David Cross). Over the course of the day, many hidden lusts and relationships rear their ugly heads, along with everyone's requisite resentments and suppressed ragings.

What makes this film special are its performances, none of which seem forced or stagey, and its script, which lithely darts from dead-on skewering of our addiction to mobile devices and other technophilia to comedy of manner moments deft enough to make Larry David and Noel Coward smile just a bit. In the midst of all that, it manages to achieve some touching moments between the couples, all of whom manage to leave their relatively small character roles etched on your brain for a while afterward. No one actor dominates this production as you might expect (Julia Stiles...you would think). But she doesn't, although Rachel Boston gives a pitch perfect manic performance as nymphomaniacal free-spirit Lexie.

This is a surprisingly engaging debut from Todd Berger, who previously has done a lot of short films, and makes a funny cameo here as a brunch crasher wearing...what else...a HazMat Suit. And if you don't know what that is, I certainly won't spoil it for you.

"It's a Disaster" 2012 is a tremendous mumblecore, bottle-episode film. It all takes place in a house full of feuding couples, during a lethal chemical gas leak. Its single location and extremely intelligent and intelligent dialogue is akin to plays, particularly "Carnage" (2011). The dialogue in this film is enough to be enthralled at the innuendos, misunderstandings, and character quirks. I would compare it to music, where each note and the timing is specific and intentional. Even when everyone's talking at once, as musicians may muddle together or play cacophonously, it is fitting to the chaos or high energy of the scene. This film is creative, funny, realistic, and has such wholesome characters and interactions between them. Two particular characters strike a chord with me as genuinely good people and relatable. It's worth a watch and refreshing to see incredible writing.

As a former Firefighter/EMT I found this film to be an example of how NOT TO RESPOND TO AN EMERGENCY & it was hilarious! Few people actually prepare for unlikely disasters, so they fail horribly & respond emotionally with bad outcomes. This talented cast portrayed their characters well & with humor, so I was easily able to suspend disbelief instead of critiquing the insane scenario. Quirky characters well represented with loads of laughter!

At times It's a Disaster is a bit hard to stay with, because essentially it is a film that focuses on the 'friends' who are together at one of their periodic 'couple's brunch'. While gossipy asides and barely concealed relationship tensions are present as normal, this particular brunch is marked out by some form of major attack on the US occurring as they sit to their meal. While responding to this is now on the agenda, what that means is different for each person, and of course the former business of the meal also still remains.

Recently I watched the sci-fi film Coherence, where the drama is all played out more or less in one house on one night. This film takes a similar approach and, although there is not really any other connection between the two films, it is interesting to see how the same basic location and ensemble structure can be used to support two such very different films. In this case the focus is the black comedy of the situation and although it is never as smart or as funny as one would have liked, it is consistently amusing in its acerbic characters and extreme background. The writing is a bit broad and it is no real surprise when infidelities and other such secrets emerge from within the group, but mostly it has a solid degree of truth about it all. The downside of this is that the characters are not particularly likable, so while elements of them are recognizable and amusing to observe, there is a lot about them which grate – which is part of the satire, but also a side effect.

The performances are mixed. Cross plays the straight man of the group really well and also allows a character for the viewer to follow, since he is new to the group; Stiles and Ferrera are also both reliable. For the others it was variable but not as memorable as these three. The writing is part of the limit on them, since it is broad across the group, with simpler characters rather than fleshed out ones. Filming around the one set of rooms is well done, and I liked the repeated external shot of the house – and that we never see more of the outside world than this. As a while, the film is too broad to really be brilliant, and it never skewers its characters as it should, or produces great laughs, or something deeper. It works for what it does, but I can understand the mixed response to it, because it is only okay rather than brilliant.

I don't usually go in for end-of-the-world movies, but I watched the preview to see if it would be too scary. I'll try anything with Julia Stiles in it, out of loyalty to all the teen movies she made when I was growing up. The preview was hilarious, so I ended up watching the whole movie. The humor is very dark, quick, and cynical, so if you're not in the mood for it, you don't stand a chance at liking it. But if you like black comedies and think you could handle laughing at the end of the world, you'll probably love it.

A group of friends all get together for usual brunches, but during one brunch, they find out that poisonous gas bombs have been set off and everyone on the planet is going to die. Everyone reacts in different ways, from doubt to laughter to denial to fear to a free-for-all bucket list. All bets are off in the last final hours left to live, and it's actually quite funny. Long-standing grudges and petty fights are brought out into the open. One of the friends jumps into bed with someone else's spouse because, why not? Self-preservation is at its finest when the couple who's always late finally shows up, knocking frantically at the front door and begging for shelter. Julia Stiles refuses to let them in, smirks, and says, "Maybe you should learn to show up to things on time."

Believe me, I'm the very last person you'd expect to enjoy this movie. I'm notorious for hating this genre, either turning the films off or running out of the room in tears. If I actually liked this one and laughed at the unexpected dark humor, it's an enormous compliment. And I'll never hear "In the Hall of the Mountain King" the same way again.

2013 seems to be the year for apocalypse comedies. Two of the best contemporary comedic gangs made This Is The End and The World's End which were quite funny but didn't live up to expectations. I may have found the best one. However, It's A Disaster is on a much smaller scale than those two. We never leave the one house and it's not concerned with action sequences, only character driven drama. But it's much better for it. Sure, we've seen these character archetypes a million times before, but it's the combination of them all together that makes it fun to watch. It's quite ambitious having 8 main characters, all with equal input. The film's story itself has a slow pace but it's utterly crammed with jokes at every junction. All of which made me laugh. I absolutely loved its sense of humour, it's wonderfully dry with great subtle sight gags thrown in for good measure. It always sets up several jokes, never happy with just having one.

Although it starts off with the characters just bantering, the impending doom effect of the script keeps it compelling and it has great hints of foreshadowing sprinkled throughout. Every little minute detail leads to conflict of some kind and instead of feeling frustrating, it instead develops the characters and makes it feel much more rich and convincing. It's unfortunate that I never really felt emotionally involved with the characters due to the limited setup, but I was always intrigued and involved with their dramatic story lines. Although the visual look of the film is pretty bland, there is some clever blocking and sound design here that really helps it feel more natural and less silly than it could've been. Unfortunately, if you don't like the humour or find the characters irritating, you'll be bored senseless It's A Disaster, but if they're for you, it's an absolute joy. One of the most entertaining indies of the year.

8/10

The plot.

Eight friends meet for their monthly couples brunch.

But what starts as an impromptu therapy session/airing of domestic grievances takes a sudden, catastrophic turn when the city falls victim to a mysterious attack.

Trapped in the house and unsure of their fates, these seemingly normal people become increasingly unhinged to surprising results.

This is one of the worst movies you will ever see. I am shocked that it got some good reviews here.

The movie is nearly unwatchable.

It's poorly directed and poorly acted.

In fact, there is no acting. It appears the dialog is ad-libbed because if it's not, it's even worse than worse than awful.

Half the movie are the actors jumping up and down.

Honestly I have never seen such an amateurish film. It's as if a monkey was given a camera and this was the result.

It's worse than a student film!!!

For their third date, Tracy is taking Glen to a monthly Couples Brunch that her best friends host. Though with an expected awkward presence, on the surface, everything seems to be going fine. That is until there is a knock at the door from a man in a hazmat suit. They are informed that dirty bombs have gone off in their city and they are to remain inside. Despite this tragic news, the couples have their own personal drama that takes priority over the horrifying situation in this dark comedy.

Right away we find ourselves in the shoes of Glen, played by David Cross, and we know in the first shot, that the following experience will be far from comfortable. Tracy, played by Julia Stiles, seems more nervous about introducing Glen to her friends than Glen is about meeting them. It's a well crafted opening and a perfect way for us to be introduced to this tight group of friends. As the film progresses we find ourselves in the middle of the eight characters, who all deal with the devastating news in their own way. In a seamless shift, we are no longer in Glen's shoes, we become flies on the wall, merely observing their strange and comical behavior.

It's a Disaster is not overly dry in it's humor. The dialogue doesn't seem forced or contrived and the character's personal drama doesn't over-shadow the comedy. The actors shine in their performances but not one more than another, the entire casts works together as a team, perfectly balanced. This is an amazing ensemble cast delivering great performances with well-written dialogue. Todd Berger has made an indie dark comedy masterpiece. Yes, It's a Disaster is a masterpiece. It's one of those few independent films that any audience can find something to love about.

The black comedy of "It's a Disaster" is intermittently amusing. The entire cast and not just the recognizable stars (Julia Stiles, David Cross) do well enough. The set-up of a couples brunch turning into a quarantine after an apparent nearby nerve-gas attack is appropriately sensational, and the shelter-in-place or risk exposure aspect especially seems relatable as of this writing given the real-world pandemic. The romantic squabbles of the couples are dull, though. Despite one of the couples being swingers and another character getting high on ecstasy, if not the others getting drunk, there's only a bit of dancing and no orgies. The comical final twist is the highlight.